Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ My Naga Knight ❯ Chapter 21

As Lily had said goodbye to Jin that night, she didn't notice that Thane had come home earlier than expected from his shift from Kalrune Village. The young, blond knight watched in shock as Lily seemed to communicate with the serpent demon without getting hurt. From where he was standing at the corner of the house, he couldn't hear that Jin was speaking in English, however. “She speaks with them like it is nothing at all—like he is human!” Thane said mostly to himself before looking over his shoulder at the armored horse he often rode upon. Grabbing onto the saddle horn and the back of the saddle, he threw his leg around the creature and pulled on the reins, intent to follow from a safe distance.

 

Jin didn't pay much attention to the sounds or smells that consumed the late night. With sorrow and guilt overwhelming his mind and heart, he ignored the armored knight stalking him on his way back to Kalrune's abandoned graveyard. Slithering his way past the many snake demons littering the area, the redhead made his way loyally back to Dustin's side as he had promised he would earlier.

 

Thane stopped just outside of the abandoned graveyard, shocked at the hissing sounds emitting from the darkness a few miles or so from his post in Kalrune Village. My God, there are probably thousands of those beasts here! How could so many be here and nobody do anything about it! Knowing his horse wouldn't buck or throw him, the young knight led the stallion quickly to the other side of the graveyard where he could see Jin was headed.

 

Dustin kept his arms across his chest as he slid his scaly body about to get tension from his serpent half. “I hope you're done with that silly farm as you promised me,” remarked the alpha in their demonic tongue. “You're not to go back there—EVER! Do I make myself clear?”

 

Jin made his way over towards Touya to lie down at his friend's side. Crossing his arms underneath his chin, he sighed heavily. “I promise. I said what I could and left the farm.”

 

Having his friend close by, Touya moved his sky-blue scales about to attempt to comfort Jin by resting the metallic serpent skin over his back. His icy touch gracing the redhead's wild hair, he looked down sadly at the upset wind demon. Touya knew that Dustin had his reasons for doing this, but he knew the change was going to be difficult for Jin.

 

“I don't see how you could possibly be so disappointed,” Aland felt need to say as he too was basking in the cool night. “I mean, you have a woman to take care of here who is pregnant with your babies.” His albino body was easiest to see out of all of them when it came to the spying knight off in the distance. “Why not go spend time with her?”

 

Dustin couldn't stand Jin continuing to mope about as he shook his brown hair irritably with a disgruntled huff. Turning around, his braided hair swung with his movements as he made it towards Aland and Finlay. “Aland, come with me to find food. Finlay, I want you to stay here and make sure these two troublemakers don't disobey me again.”

 

Aland and Finlay both did as they were told by Dustin. Jin watched through his wild, red bangs as the two demons made their way out into the plains, knowing that stealing from a knight infested village was too dangerous. Finlay watched as well as they headed off into the darkness with a shrug to Jin's continued sadness. “He's right, you now. You shouldn't be so down when you have babies on the way. Why not focus on that and the nest you could make with that Silver girl?”

 

“I guess that is true,” mutter Jin as he pushed himself up off of the floor. “Speaking of her, I should go see how she is doing. It was my fault she got injured after all.”

 

Touya removed his hand from atop Jin's head to allow his friend to move freely. Before the wind master moved an inch forward, the ice master grabbed onto Jin's shoulders. “Don't be so upset. Things will work out.” He looked reassuringly into the baby blue eyes of the redhead to at least get a nod from the wind demon before releasing him.

 

Thane stayed out of view and out of their smelling distance to keep an eye on things. “Who knew this many were here…!” Pulling on the reins, the young knight dismissed himself from the area to hurry back to the farm for the night.

 

The cold grass caressed Jin's serpent body as he made his way somberly towards the shack where Silver was still being kept for the time being. His hands leaning against the old woodwork, he pressed his ear to the front door to check on things before finally making it inside. The moonlight was the only thing that illuminated the dark room. Jin's sight was able to pierce through the darkness to find Silver lying there on the musty bed in attempts to recover. Making it to the bedside, he nuzzled into her cheek with a flick of his forked tongue. “Silver, are you awake?” He whispered between the two of them.

 

Silver moaned slightly as she flexed her fingers. “J-Jin?” She said softly in return, looking up at the large demon. “What…happened?”

 

Jin sighed as he nuzzled into her forehead. “It was my fault. You got really hurt by that knight on my behalf.” He cupped her cheek with his hand to caress the scaly flesh with his thumb. “I am sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen.” Jin managed a smile to her at the very least. “But I got you to Kurama in time, and he healed you.”

 

“Thank the Great Drake for that,” Silver breathed as she rested her cheek, soon enough, on Jin's chest to feel comfort in his embrace. As she continued to hold onto the demon, Silver could tell that the wind master was awfully melancholy. “Is something the matter? You appear terribly sad tonight…”

 

He knew if he told Silver about what happened, she would blame herself and feel awful for it. So Jin kept it to himself while shaking his head. “It is nothing. Do not worry about it, Silver.” Placing a tender kiss upon her forehead, he nuzzled into the spot once more with a brief smile. “I am just relieved you're okay.”

 

Silver remained close to the wind master, nuzzling into his chest still before flicking her tongue across his chest to cause the wind demon to tense up a moment and moan softly between the two of them. Her hands slid down his sides to feel every bit of him. “I hope I can put your mind at ease for the night for the very least.”

 

Jin grabbed onto Silver's hands to prevent her from continuing even though he was enjoying it. “N-No, you need to rest…! I cannot do that with you now…!” He took a deep breath to try and regain control over himself as she was arousing him.

 

“Well, if I cannot strain myself, I can please you still,” Silver insisted as she trailed her hands down his chest once more to his well-toned abdomen. She couldn't help but giggle at his confused expression as he twisted his open mouth to the side with his eyes a bit wide. “Here, let me show you.” Moving her hand further down, she found his scaly sheath he had to prove he was a male to start stroking it.

 

Having his sheath stroked caused Jin to tense up as well as shake his body almost in a thrusting motion. He breathed heavily through his nostrils as she continued her ministrations on his sensitive sheath. Jin wasn't used to such attention before and it caused him to nearly stumble forwards. “H-Hold on…!” He insisted as he made his way towards the bed to try and catch his breath.

 

Silver watched his actions closely as she moved cautiously to the bed as well, minding her own injuries. “Are you okay?” She asked, her hand lying upon his cheek to stroke it tenderly. Silver could feel it was quite warm.

 

“Yes, I am fine,” he assured the worried serpent woman as he lied down. “I just couldn't handle being up and taking that kind of treatment. I could possibly lie down for you to do it, but I would have to be on top of you or beside you.” Jin had a hard time lying on his back and keeping his erection as he had to be dominating over a female, and on his back, he felt as though he were being submissive.

 

“I can probably tease you from the side,” Silver thought as she crawled back down towards his shaft, which now had a bit of his hidden length peeking from the opening. Resting on her side as well beside him, she grabbed back onto his sheath to stroke it and lean down to roll her forked tongue across the scales to continue to tease him further. When more of his length peeked out, she opened her mouth to take in the exposed manhood to start suckling upon it to coax the rest of it out.

 

Jin couldn't help but feel the desire to start thrusting at that point given his instincts. His nails digging into the bed covers, he started thrusting into Silver's throat with a low grunting sound, hissing in pleasure as he did so.

 

Silver, however, wasn't ready for him to start doing such actions, causing her to stop sucking upon him for a moment to pull back and let his body relax. Her hands upon his hips to stop him from his wild bucking, she made it back down to his wet, swelling organ to take what she could into her throat to suckle a bit more upon it while bobbing her head up and down in a slow, teasing fashion. Humming softly, she sent the subtle vocal vibrations through his sensitive length to help him get further aroused.

 

Widening his eyes, Jin opened his mouth in shock as he tried to remain in control. Panting heavily, he looked down at Silver through his sexual haze with a pink blush across his cheeks. “Oh, Silver…! That feels wonderful…!” He moaned, closing his eyes tightly with a hitch in breath as his entire length slid out to finally greet her.

 

With Jin's entire organ out of the sheath, Silver grabbed it from the base to stroke up towards the head to pull the skin up and over the tip to give the male more sensation. She felt his erection jump in her hand as she did so, a good bit of pre-cum even dribbling from the small slit. Spying the milky white substance, she glided her tongue up the shaft to take it in with a moan. Placing one hand on his hip while the other was at the base of his sheath, Silver began sucking it harshly while her forked tongue was wrapped about his length.

 

Jin couldn't help but want to continue bucking into her throat at feeling the warmth enclosed around his manhood. Her actions upon his sensitive erection couldn't deny him from finally reaching his climax there, deep within her esophagus. Throwing his head back, he closed his eyes while baring his fangs from the ecstasy raking through his body. “Aah…S-Silver…!” He hissed as he found himself slowly coming back down from his climax. His body trembled as he regained his composure.

 

Silver wiped her mouth as most of his release couldn't make it completely down her throat but escape from the corners of her mouth. “I am glad you enjoyed it.” She breathed steadily herself as just tasting him nearly threw her into an orgasm fit. “I guess none of the females you knew at your old nest did that for you?”

 

Taking in a deep breath, Jin shook his head at her comment. “No, they knew how to do everything but that; they did pleasure me all the same.” Remaining on his side, he patted the emptied space next to him to offer it to Silver. When she was soon resting beside him, Jin grinned to her, showing off his teeth while he moved his arm to rest upon her side. “But thank you. It did make me feel a bit better.”

 

The injured Silver nuzzled under his chin with a tender smile. “I am glad I could help.” She placed her hand on her swelling stomach thinking about her babies as well. “Hopefully someday soon I'll be able to make you further happy.”

 

Jin continued to smile as he remained close to his mate. “You do that just fine as you are,” he assured her as he closed his eyes to relax for the remainder of the night. “Get some sleep, Silver. Kurama said you needed it to recover completely from your ordeal.” Sliding his serpent tail about hers, he made sure that he was close to his beloved to help remind himself of his other promise and pledge of taking care of Silver.

 

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The sun rising that following morning, Lily found herself just sitting lonely at the Cormac family's dinner table. Having to say goodbye to Jin was a lot more difficult for her than she realized. With the creaking of the stairs catching her attention, she looked over in the direction of the noise. “Thane?” She wondered as the steps held some sort of nervousness within them and force of that of a man.

 

Thane shook his head with a raise of his brown brow. “It is still incredible how you do that.” The knight made his way cautiously over to the table as he still could remember that Lily was caught talking to that serpent demon. “So…what's wrong? You look like you were hit pretty hard with some bad news.”

 

Lily sighed as she gazed off to the side thinking about Jin. “It-I just had to say goodbye to a close friend of mine last night. It was difficult for me to do.” Realizing she had better make breakfast, she excused herself from the table to make her way over to the cabinets to look for what she needed. “I haven't known him all that long, but he was a nice friend to have around. Ever since my husband left me, I haven't had the pleasure of much company.”

 

Hearing her story, Thane couldn't help but think of the serpent demon he saw Lily conversing with. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he had a feeling that the friend was that demon. “So who was this friend? I don't think I've seen him around the farm at all.”

 

Grabbing a few eggs from the refrigerator, Lily paused for a moment wondering how to fill that gap. She looked back over her shoulder past Thane as her cloudy eyes weren't sure where he was at that moment. “Well, he was a friend who came around at night when you were off at work. It was a reason I chose to sleep down here. I never wanted to miss him when he was in the neighborhood and needed me.”

 

Thane felt the clues were meshing together all too easily now as he twiddled his thumbs a bit. He wasn't too keen on beating around the bush and hiding what he saw, so he came out with it best he could. “Lily, would the friend happen to be the snake demon I saw you with last night?”

 

Her back turned at the moment, Lily couldn't help but drop the iron pot in her hands to cause it to clang upon the wooden floor beneath her. Her cloudy eyes wide, she froze completely in place not knowing how to answer what Thane had obviously witnessed when he came home unexpectedly earlier than usual. “You-you saw that…?” She asked nervously as Lily turned around once more to look towards Thane as she bent down to pick back up the pot she had carelessly dropped.

 

“I saw you talking to some serpent demon like it was nothing at all for you to talk in their demonic tongue!” Thane insisted in a high whisper so as not to alert the others in the house to the conversation. His tone almost made it seem as though he were mad and unforgiving in witnessing it, putting Lily on edge. Seeing her tense up in fright, Thane sighed. Closing his eyes to regain his composure, he sighed upwards to blow some of his straight, blond hair out of his way. “I couldn't see exactly what he looked like, but he wouldn't by any chance be that redheaded serpent demon I've seen around lately…would it?”

 

Lily shook her head several times as she held the pan close to her chest. “Please, please don't be irrational when I explain this…,” the blind woman pleaded as she gazed down at the floor. “But, that demon was just fulfilling a promise of his to the young girls' mother who passed away.” Sensing his confusion, she made her way back over to the dinning room table to stand there to explain. “He promised the mother that he would watch over her daughters for the accidental fire he caused. What the girls saw that night—they misunderstood it all.” Lily closed her eyes, embracing herself as it was hard to explain it all on Jin's behalf to a knight who was used to slaying such beasts. “One night, he stumbled upon me in the market place and asked me for my help in caring for them.”

 

Thane was silent throughout most of her explanation as he wasn't sure what to say. “I guess that explains why you're here,” he finally voiced as he crossed his arms upon the wooden table.

 

“Yes, it is the main reason why I am here,” Lily answered with a heavy sigh. “While you were away, he would come in to check on Neda and Blythe as he promised their mother he would. He understood that you had no desire whatsoever to get to know him or understand his purpose, so we kept it from you. When you attacked his mate, he was here in the house helping me arrange a few things for Neda's birthday. She was no doubt trying to distract you from coming inside to see us.”

 

The knight still found most of her story hard to swallow. “And you speak the demonic language of those beasts?”

 

“No,” Lily answered honestly. “I'd be lucky to be able to even pronounce one of their words correctly. He spoke English and could even read it rather well. He told me that some of the serpent demons can do such things, but it is rare.”

 

“And you believe his words?” Thane seemed a bit more hostile this time at even suggest she be doing so considering what happened to his parents.

 

Lily's face became serious as she gazed in Thane's direction once more. “When you cannot use your eyes to trust the outward appearance of someone you happen upon, you listen to the one that really matters—you tend to listen to your heart.” She placed her hand upon her chest where her heart was beating. “I know in my heart he wasn't lying when he said the things he did. He is a gentle and pure soul. If he weren't what he was, I would have tried to spend my life with him; I trusted him as much as I did and cared for him too.”

 

Turning from Lily, Thane thought back on the moment he was attacking Silver and Jin arrived just in time to prevent him from killing off the wind demon's mate. “That moment I chased that female creature into the woods…he could have killed me, you know. I know when a male's mate is threatened like that, the male won't hesitate to kill whoever tries.” His eyes found Lily's once more, his brow creased in wonderment of the redheaded demon's actions in their previous encounters. “And when I fought him off in Kalrune—it was as if he didn't want to fight me. He just stood there and said something in demonic to me as well as disarmed me. I know, now that I think on it, a normal demon wouldn't have done that. A normal one would have torn right into me without giving me a chance to attack.”

 

“Maybe because he knew who you were,” Lily pointed out with a tender smile. “He knew who you were, and didn't want to hurt you in anyway, because he promised the girls the best treatment. And speaking of them, you cannot tell them of this. Neda is still in a bit of shock over her parent's death and won't accept that a serpent demon is taking care of her.” She couldn't help but remember the anger that overcame Neda when Lily insisted the grave markers were made by nagas. “So promise me that…”

 

Thane raised his hands slightly off of the table to show he would keep it to himself. “I won't,” the knight voiced knowing she couldn't see his gesture. He watched as Lily turned her focus back on breakfast, hoping to finish it in time before the girls woke. “So he said goodbye to you, hu?”

 

“Well, once you injured his mate, he had no other alternative,” Lily explained as she started the cooking fire. “He was ordered never to come back.” She sighed somberly, getting to her feet as soon as she got the fire going. “Just like some people hate the naga, the naga have some who hate us humans. It is sad indeed.” Lily cracked some of the eggshells too open upon the pan over the clay stove.

 

“Don't expect to change the world, Lily,” Thane felt need to say as he grabbed one of the pieces of bread in the basket in the center of the table. Hearing one of the doors upstairs close, he glanced over his shoulder at the staircase to find Blythe coming down to join them. “Good morning, Blythe.”

 

“Good morning,” yawned the young girl as she made it down the steps to sit beside Thane at the table.

 

“By the way, Blythe, your stable will be completed today,” Thane announced with a smile. “You'll be able to put all your horses and everything back into the barn. It should make things much easier for you and your animals now.”

 

“Thank you, Thane for helping us with this. I still don't know where I would be without the both of you,” Blythe felt need to point out again as she closed her eyes to say her own private thanks to the Great Phoenix. “I have to remember to go to the Great Phoenix's Temple sometime to say a proper thank you for all of this.”

 

Thane smiled at Blythe's words as he nodded at her. “Well, I am off tonight. If you want, once I get up from sleeping, I can get us a ride into the market place to do so. Admitably, it has been some time since I last just went there to do a few errands and talk to the towns people.”

 

“I guess the night shift at Kalrune kind of doesn't allow you to do that with everyone asleep.” Blythe rested her cheek upon her knuckles with a subtle yawn, still tired after rolling out of bed. “I can only imagine how boring the night life can be.”

 

“It isn't so boring for me,” Thane insisted with a shake of his finger. He excused himself momentarily from the table to get some water to drink as well as the same for Blythe. Coming back to sit beside her, he gave her the other glass in his hand cautiously. “I prefer the night life most of the time. I know it can be dangerous with more demons and such running around, but that is what makes it interesting.”

 

Blythe widened her eyes, blinking several times at his comment. “I cannot imagine being able to walk around in a constant state of fear.” Hearing someone moving upstairs, the elder sister paused for a moment to gaze over her shoulder at the staircase to see Neda reluctantly heading downstairs rather slowly.

 

Everyone was a bit surprised to find her finally surfacing from her bedroom without being asked she do so. Lily could tell it was Neda given everyone's silence and how she was the only one left in the house. Turning around as well to greet the younger sister, she folded her hands in front of her apron. “Well, it is good of you to join us, Neda. Sit down, breakfast will be ready soon.”

 

Neda made her way to the table with the other two, sitting down to clasp her necklace around her neck. It was made of the scales that Jin had constantly shed around the farm whenever he was within the area. “Thanks,” she practically whispered to everyone, feeling a bit uncomfortable with all eyes on her.

 

“Ah, I see you finished that necklace of yours,” Thane pointed out as he caught it glistening in the rising sun, which peeked through the window. “It looks very nice.”

 

Spontaneously, the young girl placed her hand upon the necklace. “Thank you,” she responded to the knight as the breakfast plates were soon placed in front of everyone.

 

Blythe cleared her throat as her meal was served to her. “So, Neda, do you feel up to coming to the market place with us later tonight? Thane is thinking of going there with me so we can go to the Great Phoenix's Temple.”

 

Neda had hidden disdain for the Phoenix Goddess after her parents had been unexpectedly taken from her, but she knew throwing a fit about it wouldn't do anything other than make her feel weaker than she already was. “I guess…that would be okay,” Neda reluctantly responded. She grabbed onto her fork to start poking at the eggs she had on her plate before finally eating some.

 

“Perfect,” said Thane as he worked on some of his bacon. “Then once I catch a few hours of sleep, we will make our way to the market place. I might be able to do it once we put the animals back in the barn.”

 

Neda couldn't bring herself to eat a lot. She swallowed what she could before looking out the window to catch the rising sun shining through the trees that were wet with dew. Sighing through her nostrils, she excused herself from the table after drinking a bit of her milk. “I am going to go back upstairs then for a bit.”

 

Lily smiled softly at Neda's words. “Neda,” she called over her shoulder upon the young Cormac sister making it past her. “Thank you for joining us this morning. We appreciate your company.”

 

Standing at the staircase, Neda soaked in Lily's words. “You're-welcome,” she whispered softly before heading up the wooden stairs to get back to her bedroom for the morning.

 

 

 

 

As Silver stirred in her slumber, she moaned softly with a blink of her eyes to find that most of her pain had disappeared. Rubbing her face, she looked beside her to find that Jin wasn't there once more. “Jin?” She wondered as she looked around the empty building. She was still worried over the wind demon concerning how upset he appeared the night before. “Jin, where are you?” Pushing herself off of the bed, she made her way to the door. “Jin, where—!” Upon opening the door, she found the redheaded demon within the center of the forest surrounding them. Slithering further out of the shack, she saw he was playing a rather unusual instrument of some kind. It held a rather high-pitched sound to it and was slender in appearance.

 

Jin didn't hear Silver calling to him before. He was too focused on the melody that he had to play out. Carefully he placed his fingers over the different holes within the wooden instrument, blowing into it as he did so to cause different pitches. His eyes closed to concentrate on what he was doing, Jin turned slightly from side to side as if he was charming himself. When he managed to hold the last note for some time, he stopped his playing and removed the item from his lips to gaze off into the sun rising. His elfin ears catching one of the twigs snapping, he turned to look over in Silver's direction. “Ah, you're awake. Are you feeling better?”

 

“Yeah, I am feeling okay.” Her eyes couldn't help but gaze at the wooden object in Jin's hands that caused those beautiful notes. “What is that?”

 

“Oh, it is a flute,” Jin answered as he handed it over to Silver. “I crafted it a long time ago after looking at a human instrument of the same kind.” When Silver was done looking it over, he took it back into his care, heading back towards the shack.

 

“You seem to like a lot of bipedal things,” Silver pointed out as she headed back with him. “If any of those things were caught around here, we'd be punished.” She curled up outside of the door going into the rundown building they had decided to be together in. Silver wasn't feeling too particular about going back inside. She felt as though she hadn't seen the outside world in some time.

 

“Why? They are just harmless objects.” Jin coiled his body up and around hers to protect her with his larger body. “Of course,” he began with a sigh, “Dustin would do the same thing to me. He only let me keep the diary because I pleaded and all of that until he decided it would be okay. I also brought it with me from the east, so I guess a part of him thought it was only fair.” Clearing his throat, he kept the flute close to his chest. “So, are you hungry? I can go get you something to eat.”

 

Silver placed her hand upon her stomach, which was slightly swelling from all of the food she had been eating to help with her pregnancy. “Yes, I am quite hungry. I haven't eaten anything since I was last at that human place.”

 

“Okay! Wait right here,” Jin insisted as he slithered away from her towards the woods. “I'll be right back with something for you to eat.”

 

Touya was basking in the sun with the rest of the small nest Dustin had under him when he could pick up Jin's scent suddenly. Opening his eyes, he raised his head to catch the serpent demon heading off once more from the nesting site. “Oh, no you don't!” He muttered mostly to himself, heading quickly after his friend. “And just where do you think you're going?”

 

Jin looked over at Touya with a raise of his brows. “I am just going to get food for Silver. Last I heard, I was allowed to do that.”

 

“Yes, but where are you getting it?” Touya pried further as he struggled to keep up with his faster friend.

 

“I am just going to steal some chickens and things in the human town, and I will be back.” Jin moved quickly through the woodlands around Kalrune before coming upon the town itself soon enough. He lied low on the grass, attempting to keep himself hidden in the daylight. “Trying to find food that doesn't aggressively kick or bite you is so difficult when the domesticated creatures do nicely. Not to mention, I don't have to go far to know where they are.”

 

Touya crossed his arms in front of his pallid chest as he too was lying there in the grass next to the redhead. “You're incredibly lazy, Jin!” He hissed irritably. “One of these days that is going to get you in trouble! When it is daylight, we find our own food; we don't steal it from humans!”

 

“Fine!” Jin growled as he looked over at Touya with a shrug. “So what do you want me to do? These animals taste better than the wild ones.”

 

The ice master waved his index and middle finger towards himself. “Come—this way.” He turned to head back towards the woods to help Jin find what it was he was looking for. “Come on,” Touya said once more when he saw Jin was resistant to follow behind him. “The food out here is just as good as theirs. I don't see how you can tell there is a difference beside the fact you hardly eat yourself lately.” Turning around, he poked Jin in the chest. “You're getting too thin. If you don't watch it, Dustin will force-feed you, and I know how much you hate that.”

 

There were times, growing up with Dustin, Jin refused to eat and had his depressed times. The alpha leader would then wrestle him to the ground and dominate him to try and get him to eat. If Jin ever refused, Dustin would prick his neck with the poisonous toxins in his nails to weaken his body to the point he would be fed in his relaxed and weakened state. Jin rubbed the spot Touya took care in poking with a clear of his throat. “Well, I just don't see much point in eating lately; especially after I was forced to say goodbye to Lily and the girls.”

 

Touya sighed as he continued through the thick forest. “I am sorry that you had to say goodbye to them, but don't you think that they have enough help as it is? I am sure the human woman is pleased in the afterlife knowing her daughters are in the proper care.”

 

“That's what Lily told me,” Jin pointed out as he ducked under a low branch to continue following behind the ice demon. His scales rubbing against the rocky formations along the slight slope down to a small, trickling stream, he made it to the opposite side of the bank with a heavy sigh. “I guess I just cannot help but keep feeling bad about it.”

 

Stopping for a moment, Touya turned around with his tail-tip touching underneath his chin as if to think on that comment with his arms across his chest once more. “Do you think maybe that is because you accidentally caused the fire that killed their parents?” He removed his tail slightly from his chin, curling it a bit in a small U shape. “That is called guilt, and you'll be feeling that one for some time.” He turned back around to continue on his journey through the forests to find what he was looking for. “Although, you shouldn't feel bad as they have two people to care for them as their father and mother.”

 

“Maybe so but…” Jin sighed as he rested his arms on one of the low limbs of a dead tree with his chin on top of them. “…one of the girls is slowly dying because of what I did. If she dies, then there is another death to add onto my list.”

 

“Well, if that happens, Jin, there isn't much you can do about it,” Touya felt need to say. “The only thing you can do is feed her, and seeing as Dustin forbids you from ever going to that farm again, I just don't see that happening.”

 

Jin lowered his ears somberly having to be reminded of that until he realized that there was a loophole in there. “Wait, he said for me to never go to the farm again, and I promised him I wouldn't unless they were in my territory.” He watched as Touya stopped to gaze over at him appearing rather leery of where he was going with this. “And he never forbade you from doing anything, because you've only been there once or so.”

 

“Jin, don't you dare…!” Touya growled as he raised his hands. Seeing it in his eyes, he shook his finger at the wind master several times while moving away from Jin's advances towards him. “NO! No, no, no, NO!” The sky-blue scaled serpent demanded not wanting to hear another word as he continued onwards.

 

“Please, Touya! Pleeeeeeeeease!” Jin begged as he managed to grab his friend's left arm to prevent him from continuing his movements away from him.

 

Touya huffed as he looked off in another direction only to feel Jin pulling his arm more to get his attention. “Get off of me!” He hissed trying to shake his arm free.

 

But Jin refused as he kept a tight grip on his friend's arm. He rested his forehead against Touya's upper arm, not having the courage to look him in the eyes as he begged in such a way. “Please, Touya,” he whimpered. “It would be pointless for me to get this far only to lose one of them. Just tell Lily I will watch over Neda at my nest safely during the night, and you can bring her back in the morning.” Seeing him about to protest once more, Jin continued. “She will eat in her sleep. I know she will! I don't have to worry about her waking up on me, because I can make her go back to sleep with my nails.”

 

Sighing with a shake of his head, Touya managed to get his arm away from the redhead. “What am I going to do with you? Alright, alright,” he finally decided. “I will go to the farm and talk to Lily about it.”

 

“Thank you!” Jin praised as he felt at ease again. “I owe you for this.”

 

“Yes—yes, you do,” said Touya as the two of them headed west, the forest engulfing them.

 

Blythe checked on the completion of the barn with Thane in the mid-afternoon. The carpenters had managed to reconstruct it back to its full glory. “This is wonderful,” the teen replied gleefully, pressing her hands together at the sight of it painted and everything. “It looks just how it used to.” Turning to the knight, she expressed her thanks first with a smile and a tight hug. “Thank you so very much, Thane. Without you, I am not sure what would happen to most of our farm animals!”

 

Thane smiled down at Blythe, accepting the hug and praise as he held her close to his chest in return. “No need to thank me, Blythe. Now your animals can have their barn back. I'll go ahead and start guiding the pigs and some of the horses back in while you go wake Neda. I am sure she'll have a better reaction to you than to me when it comes to rousing her from slumber.” Thane pocked his hands as he made his way to the corral where the animals were being holed up to guide some back into their stalls.

 

Her smile turning into a worried frown, Blythe shifted her attention back to the farmhouse before heading to the front door. Making her way inside, she found Lily was passed out on the sofa with her cat Tabby beside her and purring quite contently too. Heading up the staircase, Blythe knocked upon the door leading into her and Neda's bedroom. “Neda, may I come in?” She asked as she opened it slightly.

 

Neda was awake this time though just looking outside the window. “Sure,” she said, turning her attention to her elder sibling.

 

“Wow, I didn't expect you to be awake at this time,” Blythe said honestly as she made it to her sister's bedside. “So, are you feeling up to going to the market place with Thane and me?”

 

The messy beige hair that was in Neda's face was moved as she placed some of the strands behind her ears. “I guess so.” Inwardly, she had to admit she was tired of just lying around the house. She wanted to get out and do something. She removed the blankets from her frail body and got to her feet. “I'll be ready soon. You can wait for me downstairs.”

 

“O-Okay,” said Blythe with a nod as she removed herself from their bedroom shortly after. She closed the door quietly behind her, keeping her back to it to smile mostly at her self and her sister's slow signs of recovery. Thank the Goddess for that, she thought to herself as she made her way back downstairs to help Thane with the animals.